This is the kind of dinner that asks very little of you and gives a lot back. One pot, a handful of everyday ingredients, and about twenty-five minutes. It is warming, genuinely nourishing, and forgiving enough to make on a tired weeknight.
It also happens to be quietly good for you. Lentils bring iron and fibre. Silverbeet adds iron and folate. And it is built on a base of softened leek, which brings a gut-friendly dose of slow-fermenting fibre. Good food does not have to be complicated.
What you need
Serves four.
- 1 leek
- Olive oil
- 2 tins of brown lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 large bunch of silverbeet, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
How to make it
Trim and wash the leek, using the white and pale green parts. Slice it finely.
Warm a generous splash of olive oil in a large pot over a low to medium heat. Add the leek with a pinch of salt and let it soften gently for around ten minutes, until sweet and silky. Do not rush this step. Low and slow is where the flavour comes from.
Add the lentils and the tin of tomatoes. Stir, and let it come to a gentle simmer.
Add the chopped silverbeet. It will look like a lot, but it wilts down quickly. Stir it through, and let everything simmer together for around fifteen minutes, until the silverbeet is tender and the flavours have come together.
Finish with a good squeeze of lemon and a grind of pepper. The lemon is there for brightness, and it also helps your body absorb the iron from the lentils and greens.
Ways to make it your own
This recipe is a base, not a rule. A tin of chickpeas works in place of one tin of lentils. Spinach or kale stands in for silverbeet. A spoonful of cumin or smoked paprika with the leek adds warmth. Serve it as it is, or with crusty bread, rice, or a soft-boiled egg on top.
The takeaway: a simple one-pot dinner built on leek, lentils and silverbeet. Iron, fibre and folate in a bowl, on the table in under half an hour, and easy to adapt to whatever you have in.
